The Brownhelm Township Board of Trustees met for a regular meeting on Monday, February 5. The following is from the minutes of that meeting.

Zoning update: Zoning inspector John Schmalz submitted one permit for a house and a summary list of 2017 permits. He reported that he has received phone calls about cows at a residence on Claus Road and questions about the campground on Portman Road. From the audience, Anna Pabian addressed the trustees concerning her issues with the cows on Claus Road. The trustees advised her to contact the State of Ohio Department of Agriculture.

He also reported that he has so far received no response regarding the violation letter that was sent to Lorain County Auto. Later in the meeting, trustee Nieding made a motion to turn the Lorain County auto violation issue over to the Lorain Prosecutor for enforcement of the township’s zoning code. The motion was voted on and accepted by the trustees.

Truck sale: The trustees received two bids for the 2006 Ford F350 pickup truck. One of the bids was for $5,056 and the other was for $1,680. The trustees took no action on the bids received.

Labor update: Labor superintendent Scott Schmalz updated the trustees on the status of two township vehicles that need repairs done. He also shared that the Claus Road cross over tile has been installed, and they will need to do some patching and reseeding in the spring.

Resident concerns: In addition to Ms. Pabian, there were several other residents in the audience wishing to address the trustees concerning various complaints and concerns. Marilyn Brill of the Brownhelm Historical Association reported that the flag at Rugby Cemetery needed to be replaced. Scott Schmalz assured her that they have the new flag and was waiting for clear weather to put it up.

Resident John Perry asked for an update on the violation letter sent to Zero9 Solutions in October 2017. Also related to Zero9 Solutions, Mark Chesler, a resident of Henrietta Township, started to read his findings on background checks he conducted on the owners of Zero9 Solutions. Trustee Orrin Leimbach stated that the information in the background check was irrelevant to the issue and asked Chesler to give the trustees a copy of his findings.

Later in the meeting, after a short executive session, trustee Leimbach read the following statement: “Based upon consultation with our lawyer, it is the opinion of the Brownhelm Township Board of Trustees that because the discrepancies would, as a practical matter, lead to no different outcome in the granting of the permit for Zero9 Solutions, no action will be taken at this time. It is our intent to determine the agency responsible for the sound level and duration enforcement, in accordance with the laws as stated in the regulations of the Ohio Revised Code.”

Resident Tom Rini presented a new petition for the Mapleview ditch project. Sue Stone, also in the audience, reminded everyone that two years ago, both her and her sister gave permission for their section of the ditch to be cleaned without an easement.

Clark Crawford, a resident from Claus Road, reported on multiple zoning violations beign committed by his neighbors. He provided John Schmalz with a list of the violations.

SWAC grants: the township had submitted two grant applications. Northeim reported that the Gore Orphanage project was on a waiting list for possible funding, but the Baumhart/Whittlesey project was not funded.

Motions passed: Presented by the township fiscal officer, the trustees passed a motion concerning Loosli Construction replacing the garage siding for no more than $4500. That project will begin in the spring. They also passed a motion accepting the 2017 ODOT road miles at 19.439, a motion accepting the Lorain County Emergency Notification System three-year contract at $90 per year, a motion to request an amended certificate of estimated resources for 2018 reflecting an increase in the OPWC Fund from $50,000 to $148,750 and an increase in the Agency Fund from $0 to $200.

Additionally motions passed included a motion to accept the 2018 Permanent Appropriations totaling $814,107. 39 and a motion to join the Lorain County Engineer’s county-wide chip and seal program with costs not to exceed $60,000. Middle Ridge Road will be the first priority for this program with Whittlesey and Darrow following.